The present invention relates to plumbing fixtures such as used in connection with kitchen and bathroom faucets, soap dispensers, kitchen side sprays and other water usage plumbing products customarily mounted to a sink deck, either in a kitchen or bathroom environment. In the traditional method for installing such sink plumbing fixtures, a substantial portion of the labor is done from the area beneath the sink deck. This is a crowded and uncomfortable work environment. The present invention provides a plumbing fixture in which a major portion of the installation work can be done totally from above the sink, with the only work that need be done beneath the sink deck being the installation of a plumbing fixture hose to a water inlet pipe.
The plumbing fixture comprises a valve body, which may house a faucet valve or other water control device, and has a threaded portion of a size to pass through an opening in the sink deck. There is a shoulder on the valve body which will seat upon the sink deck and which has an outer diameter larger than the sink deck opening. A threaded collar is mounted on the valve body and is of a size to pass through the sink deck opening. There is a collapsible plastic sleeve which is coaxial with and mounted on the threaded portion of the valve body, connected to the threaded collar and bottoms against the shoulder. When the sleeve is collapsed, it can pass through the sink deck opening. Rotation of the valve body from above the sink deck will cause the threaded collar to move on the valve body toward the underside of the sink deck, causing the collapsible plastic sleeve to axially compress and radially expand, with the end result being that the valve body is attached to the sink deck by the shoulder on the top side of the sink deck and the collapsible sleeve on the underside of the sink deck.
The present invention relates to plumbing fixtures which are formed and adapted to be mounted to a sink deck from above the deck.
A primary purpose of the invention is to provide a plumbing fixture, usable with a variety of water control plumbing devices, which is mounted to the sink deck and is formed from a minimum of reliable and compact components.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a plumbing fixture comprising a valve body having a threaded portion and a shoulder, with a collar being mounted on the threaded portion and a collapsible sleeve being mounted between the collar and the shoulder. Rotation of the valve body causes the collapsible sleeve to compress against the underside of the sink deck to mount the valve body to the sink deck.
Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.